The Bet
by xIcyChanx
Summary: Havoc smirked, but Roy was too drunk to catch on. "Okay, chief. " He straightened, smug as hell. "Prove to us that those rumours about Ed are wrong. Seduce her, and show us that you are, in fact, the unrejectable bachelor of Central. You have one week." Roy must've been way too drunk to put logic to this situation, and so he agreed, eagerly. [Roy/Fem!Ed]
1. The Bet

_A/N Hello everyone! Welcome! I feel like I haven't posted a standalone fanfiction in ages. I started this in June 2018, and it has taken me an embarrassingly long time to get it finished...But I guess life gets in the way and all that jazz and ahem boredom and just a general feeling of being unmotivated. Alas, I have brought to you The Bet! The first chapter is quite short, but the rest are of varying length, and longer than this one. So stay tuned. It's about 20,000 words so strap yourselves in for a mini ride haha_

_Fun fact, this chapter is short cause this was supposed to be a one shot, but then I yeeted out 20,000 words and had to cut it in chapters soooo OOF_

_**DISCLAIMER: I dont own FMA even though I wish I did**_

* * *

"Aye, chief, you made it!"

Havoc's voice was loud enough to be heard around the bar. A couple of heads turned, but nothing major. He looked and sounded a bit tipsy, Roy thought, as he walked over to the group. It wasn't unusual, however, as Havoc tended to get generally pissed every Friday night after work.

It was almost a tradition with his office. For years now, they'd been meeting at this very bar on a Friday night and getting drunk. Hawkeye came along on some occasions, but mostly it was just the guys. Roy didn't know if that made it worse.

While during his younger days Roy enjoyed the crazy times immensely, he had noticed that the last few years he wasn't up to it as often.

But tonight, the thought of going back to his empty little house seemed stifling, so he decided to come and relax with his friends.

"Yep, made it," he said, taking a seat next to Havoc and Breda. Breda cheered, waving over the waiter so Roy could order. The waiter brought his beer almost immediately, and he lost no time, gulping down his pint. He needed to catch up.

"Chief, we were just talking about that girl over there, isn't she hot!" Yes, Havoc was definitely drunk.

Despite himself, Roy turned, looking at the blonde Havoc was talking about. She was definitely Havoc's type. With a smirk, he said, "Go talk to her then."

Perhaps it was mean of him to entertain himself with his friend's failings, but drunk Havoc trying to chat up girls was honestly the most hilarious thing.

Apparently, Havoc wasn't as drunk as he'd initially thought because he frowned and glared at Roy. "You just want to make fun of me! I wanna see _you _trying to seduce a girl!"

Roy drank his beer. "Easy."

"Easy, huh? I'll find you a hard one!" He stared around the bar but, admittedly, not many people were here today. Five girls max, and none of them seemed to be what Havoc was looking for. He slouched in his seat in defeat and downed his drink. Roy followed suit, pouring another can into his glass straight after.

"Maybe you should find Fuery someone to flirt with." Roy smirked at Fuery, who went bright red.

"I-I don't think that's necessary, sir."

He seemed tipsy too, but Roy had noticed he'd stopped drinking. Falman wasn't drinking at all. At least there would be at least one person to make sure they got home safely and didn't wake up in a dumpster or something.

The minutes passed, during which they talked about various things that had happened that week, and now they were being updated on all the military gossip by Havoc. It was entertaining, to say the least, as some rumours were completely incredulous, and Havoc seemed to believe them all.

"Did you hear the one about the boss?"

Roy had just downed his fifth pint when his hazy mind registered that sentence. "You mean Ed?"

Havoc vigorously nodded. "Oh yeah. They say the boss is sleeping with some General or something."

Roy frowned at that, too drunk to stop the flicker of jealousy from showing. "Who?"

Havoc shrugged, taking another chug from his drink. "Dunno, but they say that that's why she revealed she was a girl after the Promised Day, cause she wanted to be with him or something. Which is also why she stayed in the military. I mean, it makes sense."

The jealousy was getting the better of him, and he hated that his drunken mind also thought it made sense. Everyone had been confused when Ed had revealed she was in fact a girl. But they had been even more confused when she declared she was renewing her contract with the military. Roy, along with many others, had thought she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

So why did she stay? She still didn't seem to enjoy the tasks she was given to work on, and complained endlessly about the military's flawed system, so Roy just couldn't understand what was keeping her here.

A person would make a lot of sense, knowing Ed.

And Roy didn't like that. Not one bit.

"Stupid, doubt anything's true." The words were out of Roy's mouth before he could stop them, a bit slurred but definitely showing the jealousy this rumour had inflicted inside of him.

As drunk as he was, Havoc smirked. "And how would you know, chief, I bet she's the only girl who hasn't been swooning over you."

Before Roy could reply, Havoc and Breda were looking at each other as though they both had the same genius idea at the same time.

"Easy, huh…" Breda smirked, and Roy was too drunk to catch on.

"What's easy?"

Havoc smirked. "Okay, chief. " He straightened, smug as hell. "Prove to us that those rumours are wrong."

Roy rolled his eyes. "And how the hell am I gonna do that? I ain't asking her, I cherish my balls." His voice slurred, but he was too drunk to notice.

Breda threw his head back and laughed loudly, and Havoc's smirk widened further. "Seduce _her_! That way we'll know she's not in a relationship if she starts fuckin' you, ya know?" He winked, and genuinely seemed to think it was the most amazing idea he had ever had.

The thought of sleeping with Ed was making his drunken mind way too excited about the future. He thought that yes this was a great idea, he'd get to sleep with Ed and yes, she would totally be into this whole thing.

"Damn…" he muttered, dazed. He could just imagine waking up next to her, and how beautiful she was, and–

"One week, how does that sound?" Breda poured himself another beer. "One week to seduce her starting from tomorrow."

Havoc cheered. "Damn! Yes! Let's see how 'easy' it is then! Smug Colonel! I bet you can't do it!"

He and Breda clicked glasses and downed their drink.

Roy must've been way too drunk to put logic to this situation, and so he agreed, eagerly.

"Deal!"

* * *

_A/N Hehe so Roy's got himself in a bit of a predicament... ;)_


	2. Day 1

_A/N Heya once again. :) I am here with chapter two for you. It honestly feels quite weird splitting this into chapters as it was meant to be a one shot until about 15000 words in ahaha. But yeah, I'm so thankful you guys seemed to like chapter 1! i often put pressure on myself to make chapters a certain length, so since I wasn't anticipating making chapters, it's all a bit weird for me xP. I hope it still flows!_

_Anyway, enough rambling. Enjoy!_

**_DISCLAIMER: i dont own fma man_**

* * *

This was why Roy didn't drink a lot anymore. While young he almost never got hangovers, after he passed twenty-five they just got _bad_. The sun creeping in through the blinds was just stinging his eyes, his head was _pounding_, and he felt like he hadn't drunk water in years.

He barely remembered how he got home, vaguely recalled Falman driving and Havoc and Breda singing at the top of their lungs. He must've been half asleep.

Somehow, he managed to drag himself out of bed and down the stairs, where he promptly downed three glasses of water in a row. At least he didn't feel sick. He put two pieces of toast in the toaster and popped a pill for the headache, silently pondering last night.

He remembered most of it. It was only towards the end that things got a bit hazy. The one thing that plagued him though was the rumour about Ed, and what bet he had made. Knowing Havoc and Breda, a drunken bet was a sober bet. There was no way he was getting out of it without consequences. And he didn't want to even think about what they would have in store for him.

He had made this rule during another one of their silly Friday night meetings, where anyone backing out of a bet gave the others permission to play a prank on them. He'd only made that rule to have a laugh at the others' expense, since he never made bets he knew he couldn't win, but how he had gotten so pissed last night was beyond him. And of course, wherever Edeline was concerned he seemed to lose a bit of common sense anyway…

Maybe something good would come out of it though. Maybe Ed would end up attracted to him too (who was he kidding…), maybe he would lose the bet, and all would be back to normal. Maybe Ed really was with some General and told him that straight away.

Roy's heart protested at the last outcome. He really didn't want her to be with someone else. But what was he expecting? He had never shown interest in her, and for the majority of the time he'd known her, he hadn't felt attraction at all. It was only a year after the Promised Day the attraction hit him…She was bound to become attracted to someone sooner or later, just because he had feelings for her didn't mean she couldn't develop feelings for someone else…

A heavy sigh escaped him, just as his toast popped.

Why had he even started being attracted to her in the first place? She was rude, aggressive, complained about literally everything, and was just a pain in the ass. But he was also aware of her loyalty, her kindness she sometimes showed in a tough-love way, and her smart mind and determination.

Damn it.

As he ate his breakfast, it also occurred to him that Breda had said his week to 'seduce' Ed, whatever that meant, started from today. But today was Saturday – he wasn't going to see her.

Unless…

Damn it, he'd have to plan something believable and invite her over. There was no way he was putting himself at a disadvantage by missing two days. Honestly, he barely believed he could win the bet anyway, but he would damn well try. Ed was most likely not attracted to him in the least, and by doing this he could confirm that. Maybe that's what he needed to move on…

Yes, he was going to go through with this bet, and see where it led.

Glancing at the clock, he wondered what time Ed usually woke up. He had some alchemy circles he'd been meaning to study, alone, but now he might as well use it as an excuse to get Ed over here. Cause the only advantage he had in this whole thing was that Ed couldn't say no when it came to alchemy.

It was ten o'clock now. Would Ed be awake? Or would he call and wake her up? Cause the latter would make her hate him and that was not what this was about.

Sighing, he decided to wait till twelve to be sure. In the meantime, he was going to try and make himself feel more alive, so he had a shower, shaved, did some cooking for lunch and by the time he'd finished, it was twelve o'clock.

Should he call her? Maybe Breda was too drunk to think that today was Saturday. Maybe he meant Roy's one week started Monday. It would make more sense but at the same time, he would have next weekend if he didn't have this one…

There was no getting out of this.

He picked up the phone receiver, ready to dial the number he'd learned by heart. For a second, he debated calling Breda or Havoc to discuss this, but decided against it.

He was calling Edeline.

The phone rang and rang, for a moment making him think she was _still_ sleeping, or just not in the flat. But then someone picked up.

"Hello?"

It was definitely her, with her rough voice and permanent slightly passive-aggressive tone. She sounded awake enough, so he guessed he hadn't dug his grave.

"Hello, Fullmetal." Immediately, he cringed. Maybe this would be harder than he thought.

He and Ed had always had this professional relationship, it was going to be weird trying to breach that. She was bound to be suspicious too…Goddamn it.

She was silent for a second, as though surprised it was him. "I'm not coming in today for no reason whatsoever."

Despite himself, Roy chuckled. "Same with me, don't worry. I was actually wondering whether you would like to assist me in deciphering some alchemy circles. I'm at my house, not at the office."

Again, silence. Roy would bet she was already suspicious.

"What kind of circles?" Her curiosity was piqued but she didn't want to show it.

"All sorts. It's completely irrelevant to the military, just a little hobby of mine. So, what do you say?"

A part of him thought she would say no, but then he remembered alchemy was involved.

"I'll be over in half an hour."

And with that, she hung up.

The only reason Ed knew where his house was, was because he had invited over the whole office for a new year's party once. It had been more than two years ago now, so he was a bit bewildered Ed didn't ask for his address.

He busied himself with tidying up the lounge and looking for the alchemy circles, perfectly printed on A3 paper. He knew one of them was a water array, but that was literally all he knew about it, as it was the opposite of his field of expertise. Hopefully Ed would know more.

This may actually turn out to be a useful learning experience. At least it wouldn't be awkward, cause once Ed began talking about alchemy, she wouldn't shut up.

It felt like only five minutes had passed before his doorbell rang. And there she stood, her forehead up to his shoulder and her eyes staring up at him. Her stunning blonde hair was up in her usual ponytail, her body clothed in her familiar tank top and leather pants.

"Come in." He moved out of the way to let her in and closed the door behind her. Already this felt weird. Unfamiliar. He had never been alone with Ed in his house before. Hell, he was out of uniform too.

She sank down on the couch and looked around with a raised brow. "Where's the alchemy?"

"Just a minute." He went to his study to fetch them and stayed a bit longer to think.

He needed a plan. He needed to start being pleasant to her and not completely professional even though that was what felt normal and comfortable. He had to do this slowly, otherwise she'd be suspicious, which she actually didn't look at the moment.

Having a vague idea of what he was going to do, he exited the study with the papers in his hand.

"I know one of them is a water array, but I don't really have much idea about water alchemy." He handed her the papers, and her eyes lost no time, scanning the first one expertly.

"This one's an earth array, but more specialised I think." She went silent, scrutinising it some more. "Do you have some pen and paper?"

Roy hurried to give her what she wanted, and immediately realised that alchemy was _too_ much of a distraction for Ed. He hoped she would at least carry on a conversation…

"Would you like anything to drink or eat?" Polite, friendly. Good start.

"Nah."

Great.

He sat on the couch next to her, watching her as she scribbled illegible things on the piece of paper. Roy admittedly felt a bit useless, as he had planned on taking these arrays to the library to figure them out, as he lacked the knowledge completely, but Ed seemed to be in the zone.

Roy thought she had forgotten his entire existence, but she surprised him.

"Okay so, this first one is used to manipulate metal. It's part of the earth arrays, as you can see from this," she pointed to the square that surrounded the inner part of the array with her pen, which Roy recalled was distinctive to earth arrays. "But," she went on, "You can see it's special from this small triangle here," the back of her pen slid across the paper with ease. Roy felt like a student again, feeling the spark of excitement for alchemy. "Which indicates it's one of the special groups. Figured it was iron cause there's two small triangles."

"How do you know it's iron just because of the two triangles?"

Roy was immersed, and Ed was too. She looked at the array again, then quickly scanned the scribbles before replying. "No small triangle means it's a basic earth array. Special groups have at least one triangle because they need more stability, more focus to activate. Iron having two triangles is just theory, you either know it or you don't."

She put the paper down, evidently satisfied with herself. Roy was sure she wasn't aware she was smiling, but it made her look so much more approachable. Her passion for alchemy had always impressed Roy.

"You got that?"

Roy nodded, still feeling useless but less annoyed about it, as Ed wasn't judging him for his lack of knowledge, but instead seemed perfectly happy to teach. That was another thing he admired about Ed; she never expected anyone to have the knowledge she had. She was down to earth, fully aware that the way she acquired that knowledge wasn't exactly common. Roy could bet she thought his level of knowledge was more normal than hers. And Roy had to agree. It was almost scary how much Ed knew about alchemy.

"On to the next one then. How many are there?"

"Six I think."

She hummed in thought, glancing at the clock. "We might not be able to do all of them today. Your brain will get fried." Before Roy could comment on that, she added, "How about we split them and do three today and three tomorrow?"

And whatever comment Roy was about to make left him. She had just made his life a whole lot easier.

"Yes, that would be perfectly fine."

She grinned, so brightly Roy had to smile too. Damn, he wished she got as excited about him as she did about alchemy. But that would never happen.

Who was he kidding, Ed had never shown any interest in him whatsoever. Maybe he should just ask her if she was with someone and get it over with…

"Ohh, I know exactly what this one is! I've used it before…" She trailed off, looking sheepish, and Roy was immediately ready to admonish her for something she probably did on a mission and he never found out about it…

"What is it?" He stared at the circles, and the very fine writing, wondering how on earth would he even start deciphering this one had Ed not been here. It would've probably taken him ages to find something familiar to start researching.

"It's a lead to gold transmutation circle. It's illegal." She gazed at him with a wide smile, one that just spelt 'And I don't give a fuck'.

Roy, amused in spite of himself, shook his head. "If the military had found out…"

"It was years ago, all is fine."

Roy admired her bravery too.

He also had to do something, because this was still very much in his comfort zone, and that wasn't his goal for today. He had convinced himself he was going through with this stupid, drunken bet, and now he had to force himself to approach Ed in a different manner…

So, he said the first thing on his mind. "You have really nice hair."

She froze, he cringed, and leaned against the back of the couch to distance himself. Why was he completely incompetent when it came to Ed?

Slowly, she turned her head to look at him, her expression full of confusion and…was she creeped out?

"…Thanks?"

Roy pursed his lips, offering a forced smile. "You're welcome."

The air was thick, both of them incredibly uncomfortable by Roy's out of character compliment. This was why he never left the slight professionalism he had with Ed. Because it was just…weird…

Ed was silent, and Roy was too scared to open his mouth again in case he made it worse. She wasn't looking at him now, staring at the gold array but not really seeing it.

What was she thinking? Maybe she wanted to bolt now. Maybe he made her too uncomfortable. And who could blame her? Her older, commanding officer had just told her she had nice hair out of the blue.

Great, Roy.

And yet, now that he looked at her better it seemed almost like she was...sad?

What in the world had he done. He was so confused. He'd just told her she had nice hair!

"Maybe we should take a break? How about some brownies?"

His voice seemed to snap her out of her trance. She looked up at him, surprised. "Sure."

But even when Roy went to the kitchen, more for a breather than anything, Ed was still looking through the arrays. She could never just take a break.

As he was getting the brownies ready, he thought about putting an end to this bet and just dealing with the consequences. Ed had looked incredibly uncomfortable, more than he'd anticipated, and after that she went all weird and sad looking and quiet and – that was weird for Ed. And Roy didn't like it one bit.

He carried the two plates back to the lounge and handed Ed hers. Immediately, she started devouring it. Roy took that as a good sign.

"Did you make these?"

Roy smiled. "Yes, I did."

Ed stared at him for a moment. "Damn, didn't think you could bake."

"I'm a pretty good cook too, if I do say so myself."

Ed smirked, looking at him disbelievingly. She put her empty plate on the table, away from the arrays. "I bet you burn everything and think that's what you're supposed to do."

An opportunity presented itself, and an idea came to him. This would be weird too, but at least it wouldn't be out of nowhere… "How about I cook for you then? So you can see for yourself."

Ed look surprised, but admittedly not as shocked as before. Perhaps it had been the spontaneity of it that had caused the discomfort. To Roy's surprise, she turned a bit red in the face. "I guess it would be better for me to be the one to tell you it's bad. At least then you won't get it from someone…important."

Roy didn't know what to think of that, all his mind was doing was trying to figure out how to plan all this. What was he even doing.

Ed wasn't looking at him now, her eyes back on the array. It was like her safe place for when things got awkward.

"Okay." Roy decided. "How about tomorrow? We could continue with the arrays and then I'll cook you an unforgettable meal." He smirked, in an attempt to put some normalcy in their situation, but it still felt so unbelievably wrong.

"Unforgettable it will be, that's for sure." The look she gave him just said she still wasn't expecting anything good.

She was probably just being cheeky though.

* * *

_A/N Hmmm so Roy's going through with it, but it's kinda awkward still...What do you think will happen? ;)_

_Btw, I am planning on updating this once a week, either on a Wednesday or a Thursday x_


	3. Day 2

_A/N Aaand Chapter 3! Day 2 of Roy's...'attempt' hmmm, hehe. I'm loving all the response to this honestly! Y'all seem to be enjoying it so far and that makes so happy as a writer! :D These chapters are way shorter than what I usually aim for in a multi-chapter fic, but this wasn't supposed to be one - and yeah I should probably stop mentioning that xD I don't know if any other writer feels the same, but when I get about half way through a project I start to feel scared people will hate it and I'll get slammed and all my hard work will be for nothing hahaha. That's not happened so far and it's been 7 years so maybe I should chill ;p_

_Anyway, hope you enjoy this one too c:_

**_DISCLAIMER:_** **i dont own fma**

* * *

The phone ringing startled Roy, making him look away from his novel. He frowned, wondering who it was, and stood up to pick up the receiver in the kitchen.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Colonel!" Havoc.

Roy sighed, knowing what was coming. It was almost ten in the morning, and Ed was coming at twelve. But Havoc didn't know that.

"Good morning, Lieutenant."

Havoc was silent for a few seconds, probably thinking of how to broach the subject. Roy hoped this turned around and Havoc told him that he could just forget about the bet and there would be no consequences, but he knew his team. And so he knew it was only wishful thinking.

"So…Do you remember Friday night?"

Roy spared him. "Yes, and I'm dealing with the bet, you don't have to worry."

Relieved that he wouldn't have to explain all their drunken talk to a very sober boss, Havoc replied, "Damn! Have you already done something?"

"Yes, it's going fine. I will win this bet for sure." Lies, Roy thought to himself. Just thinking about yesterday was making him cringe. He hoped today would be a better, more comfortable day for the two of them. He decided this morning that he was going to treat Ed normally and hope for the best; it was way too weird for both of them to do anything other than that.

He honestly highly doubted he'd win the bet, but he could at least convince his team he was trying or was doing better than he was. At least then they'd leave him alone after he failed, Ed would be none the wiser, and all would be good.

Havoc seemed excited now, extreme scenarios of what could happen between him and Ed surely running through his mind. But, unfortunately, none of that would happen. Cause Ed didn't feel any sort of attraction towards Roy, and if the years they'd known each other didn't prove that, yesterday would. Acting any different than what they were used to felt weird, and _wrong_.

"If you manage to get the boss to fall for you I will literally deem you as the un-rejectable bachelor."

"I already am, Havoc." He rolled his eyes. Maybe he should stop keeping up this image of being a complete ladies' man. Maybe then he might actually meet women who were interested in a relationship. Cause, while at twenty this whole image seemed the best, now at thirty-one, it was just off putting.

After a few more words were exchanged, mostly Roy quickly explaining, and exaggerating, what had transpired yesterday, they finally hung up, just in time for him to start tidying up. It was edging on eleven thirty, and Ed could be here any minute.

He was a bit nervous, weirdly. Perhaps it was the fear of making it awkward again or messing up the meal he was going to make, but the flutter in his stomach was undeniable. Was she nervous too?

Probably not. To her, this was just her commanding officer she'd known for more than half a decade offering her alchemy and free food. She was probably excited.

Just as he was taking his empty coffee mug to the kitchen, the doorbell rang. Knowing who it was, he took a deep breath before opening the door.

And there she was, once again, big golden eyes staring up at him. He let her in, exchanging hellos, and she immediately went to the couch, where he'd placed the arrays.

This would take long, Roy thought. He might have to let Ed to it at some point, so he could cook. He'd already thought what he was going to make; stew. It was hard to mess that up as it was her favourite, but she would most definitely compare it to her mum's. But Roy was okay with that.

He doubted his cooking could beat a housewife's, anyway.

* * *

Four hours later, and Roy told Ed he should get started on dinner. She easily let him go and focused on the arrays. She had interestingly found one she didn't know much about, so she wanted to concentrate without him around, he got that. It just sucked that for her alchemy was a higher priority than him, but what could he say, that was Ed. And there was no changing her.

Actually, he bet that, even if she was or got with someone eventually, she'd still put alchemy first. It was just how she was.

Roy concentrated on making this the best stew he had ever made. He couldn't lie to himself; he wanted to impress her. This could be the only chance he had to do so. Again, he wondered if the bet was a good idea. He got to spend time with Ed, which was both good and bad. Good, because he could confirm to himself once and for all that Ed did not in fact harbour any sort of feelings for him, so he could get over her, finally. Bad, however, because he might actually be cultivating his feelings for her right now…

When it was all done, he prepared the cutlery and filled two plates. He was actually starving after all the brain power he'd been using all day.

"Ed! Dinner's ready!"

He didn't usually call her Ed, or any variation of her name really, out loud, but he only realised that when the name left his lips. It felt weird but that was only his brain telling him it was wrong. Before he'd registered what he'd said, it had felt weirdly right.

"Coming!"

Ed appeared a moment later, apparently unaware of what he'd called her – had it subconsciously felt right to her too? – practically salivating. "You made stew? It smells so fucking good."

Roy was about to be cheeky and boast, but she beat him to it by looking at him slyly. "Let's see how it _tastes_, though."

They sat at the table, and for some reason it felt okay. The awkward air that dominated yesterday seemed to leave them alone today. Ed said the food was good but didn't offer any more verbal praise. As Roy expected, she did throw in the 'not as good as mum's though' comment, but overall, she showed her appreciation of the food by practically vacuuming it down her throat.

They chatted casually for the most part. It was a pleasant conversation, very in their comfort zone, until Roy asked a question that only he, apparently, felt was within the comfort zone.

"Why did you renew your contract after the Promised Day?"

Ed went silent, her eyes wide and seemingly speechless. She stared at him, but then averted her gaze to her food. Roy wanted to stab himself with his fork. It'd been going so well…

He had been ready to retract his question, when she turned red in the face and said, "I just wanted to stay in Central."

Roy, unsure whether he should continue on the subject, said, "We just all thought you hated the military and wanted to get out as soon as possible, that's all. It really shocked us that you decided to stay behind and let Alphonse return to Resembool."

Ed was mulling over those words, before nodding. "Yeah, I remember people were surprised. I just…I don't know. I wanted to stay. Probably a stupid idea." Her eyes flicked up to him, before going back to her food. "It would probably be better for me if I left but…" She shrugged. "I'm not exactly known for my wise decisions, so why start now?"

Roy took his time thinking of a reply. He didn't know what to think of that. While he had initially thought Ed had just gotten used to the military and the city life and wanted to stay mainly for the library, her words just now hinted to something more. With a sinking heart, he remembered Havoc's words Friday night. It did sound like she found someone…

Might as well get it over with.

"Did you meet someone, perhaps?"

His heart clenched just asking. Part of him didn't want to know the answer. He just knew it would make him want her more.

Ed turned bright red, which wasn't a good sign. Her main priority now was definitely to avoid eye contact. "W-What do you mean?"

Roy shrugged, trying to act indifferent, even though he was slowly dying inside. "I thought maybe there's someone you stayed here for."

If possible, Ed turned even redder, and was now playing with the remainder of her food. "Maybe, I don't know."

Roy's heart took that as a yes, even though his brain tried to convince him it wasn't a definite yes.

Now it was back to that awkward air between them. It made Roy realise he hated it. Why could he never be comfortable with Ed? Why was Ed never comfortable around him?

He wanted to change that. Even though Ed didn't have feelings for him, which was completely understandable, he wanted to at least be a friend to her, and for them to be able to talk about anything without it being weird. Ed was such an intelligent person, Roy was interested in her life and opinions.

The conversation felt strained after that, even though Roy changed the topic. It was slowly getting a bit better, but Ed was having trouble keeping the blush off her face and making eye contact. In an effort to save the situation, he reverted back to alchemy, and things got a lot better.

Ed soon finished her stew. She leaned dramatically against the chair, placing her hand over her stomach. "I'm so full."

Roy smirked. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

She smiled at him, not a teasing smile, which surprised Roy, but a softer, more genuine one. "I did. So congrats."

That was probably the best compliment Ed had ever given him.

He smiled back. "Thank you."

* * *

_A/N Sooooooo what do you think of Ed's reactions here...Any theories? ;)_


	4. Day 3

Day 3, Roy thought. Monday. He should be embarrassed he was getting excited about this. Apart from the awkward moments, this weekend had been nice. Being around Ed felt good, and he had never been able to do that before, away from the office.

He walked in his office that morning, with a smile, which Havoc and Breda most likely misinterpreted.

Havoc's jaw dropped. "No way."

Roy raised a curious brow, halting just outside his inner office door, Breda snickering. "What is it?"

From the corner of his eye, he watched as Hawkeye put together a pile of paperwork for him, and his mood slowly disintegrated. She was completely ignoring the conversation, not even a little bit interested in the childish games the boys of the office played sometimes. She was used to it.

"Why are you smiling like that!? Please don't tell me it only took you two days!" For emphasis, Havoc threw himself backwards in the chair, making it tip back precariously.

Roy sighed, glaring at them. "Thinking that is disrespectful to Fullmetal."

He wasn't really angry with them, but he was kind of annoyed at himself it took a drunken bet for him to make an effort to get to know Ed better. Had this bet not happened, he never would've even thought to invite her over, and he'd actually had a lot of fun…

Maybe he would get something good out of this bet after all. While getting Ed's attention seemed impossible, he did think friendship wasn't so hard to achieve. Ed had grown, and wasn't the snappy teenager who talked back to him and basically hated him anymore. She didn't actually seem to mind his presence, which was more than he could ask for. After the Promised Day she calmed down a lot, the stress of getting Alphonse's body back no longer weighing her down, and their relationship had been civil.

Havoc put a hand on his chest and sighed dramatically in relief. "I would've literally died if you said Ed slept with you over the weekend."

Roy just realised; he would actually have to _sleep_ with Ed to win the bet. There was no way he was winning the bet.

Might as well have a bit of fun with them. He smirked, saying, "It's not happened, _yet_."

Breda guffawed, and Havoc shook his head and turned to Breda. "I can't believe it's going well, what the hell, why hasn't the boss kicked the Colonel in his balls yet."

Roy was actually kind of wondering the same thing.

He retreated to his office, Hawkeye behind him with the massive pile of paperwork. At least she brought him coffee afterwards.

Roy could only start on the paperwork. Time went slowly, and he was idly wondering what else he could do this week with Ed. He had some ideas, things he found he really wanted to do with her, but they would be weird. They weren't that close yet. He couldn't just invite her for a picnic or a cinema night. Their professionalism forbade that. While in his head it all seemed so nice, just thinking about saying it out loud was making him feel weird about it.

They had finished all the alchemy circles yesterday. After the meal, Ed had explained all of the remaining ones to him, and he thought she was a good teacher. He liked being in her presence, especially when she wasn't annoyed about something. Roy enjoyed her company.

He wished he could just break the invisible boundary surrounding them and talk to her about anything on his mind. But their relationship had been so strict for so many years to the point where even if he told her about his day it would seem weird.

After Ed had renewed her contract, she said she didn't want to be given as many missions anymore, so Roy had opted for giving her a desk in the outer office. That way, she could help with the paperwork – something she hated – but also have the opportunity to analyse various alchemy circles and write a report on them for Roy to hand to the higher ups. While she loved the analysing part, she despised the report part, and she made sure Roy knew every single time.

She even had the good luck of only having to turn up to work an hour after the rest of them, so Roy didn't really think she had the right to complain.

He heard her come in, the others saying hello. Thankfully, she had a report due today, so he hoped the conversation would be pleasant, even though her reports were still usually bad. He doubted, however, that trying to stray from their comfort zone in this office, with him being a commanding officer to her in uniform, was a good idea.

But what else could he do, damn it.

A knock on the door made him straighten and prepare himself. Ed entered casually, her report in hand. She still didn't wear the uniform, instead opting for her usual tank top, leather pants and boots. Fuhrer Grumman had allowed it, since Ed was a legend now, after the Promised Day.

He debated the right way to greet her and decided on their usual.

"Good morning, Fullmetal."

She didn't look to be in a particularly foul mood, and that usually meant she was in a fairly decent mood. She shut the door behind her, casually sauntering towards Roy's desk, manila folder in hand. From her unbothered attitude, he supposed the weekend hadn't made her at all suspicious.

Thankfully.

She practically threw the report on his desk, Roy catching it just in time before it slid off the edge. The report was messy, as usual, clearly written with a scowl and no motivation. Ed had always hated writing them, as it wasn't her forte. And, as she put it, she'd much rather show someone how to use an alchemy circle, instead of acting like a stuck-up soldier and using fancy words to describe it to brainless idiots.

Roy secretly agreed with her, but the military had rules, and unfortunately, she had to follow them.

"Will you ever write a decent report, I wonder."

Ed scowled at him, crossing her arms. "Maybe when I kill you I'll write the best damn report on how I did it."

Roy acted busy looking at the report to hide his smile. He tried to not think how peculiar it was that he found Ed's threats to his life charming.

Their meeting went on as usual, nothing out of the ordinary. It felt comfortable for both of them; he saw how relaxed Ed's shoulders were as she sat on the couch in front of him, how unguarded her expression had become as time went on.

Their conversation was strictly military, like it always was. Ever since the bet, Roy had seemingly become hyperaware of just how professional his relationship with Ed was. Even with his other subordinates he felt comfortable discussing a personal issue, but never with Ed. Had he always kept her at a distance, subconsciously?

While Ed's report was bordering on a rewrite, Ed didn't seem as angry as she usually would be. Anyone would have noticed the change in her after the Promised Day. The pressure of regaining Alphonse's body no longer weighing her down, her mood was lighter; she seemed happier.

She regarded people with a much more pleasant and calm attitude, as opposed to the high strung and stressed yell they would've been met with before. It was refreshing; it made her much more approachable for everyone, including Roy.

Their conversation paused. Roy stared at the report on his desk but not really seeing it, his hands covering his mouth, fingers interlaced. He was thinking; should he risk asking something unprofessional? Maybe she'd be willing to get to know him more as a person now, like his other subordinates did.

When he looked up, Ed was staring at him with an expression he couldn't quite read. A bit of confusion was evident, most likely cause of the silence with no dismissal following it, but there was also something else, which vanished as soon as their eyes clashed. He could've sworn her face reddened just a tiny bit.

"Uh, are we…done?"

Roy leaned back in his chair, trying to keep his eyes on her while avoiding eye contact. Why did this feel so awkward? "Actually, I would like to invite you to lunch today."

Ed's body stiffened visibly. Her golden eyes widened almost comically, and her face was _definitely _red now. "W-What?"

Roy glanced at the clock; lunch was in two hours. He smirked, to put some normalcy into the situation. "I'm inviting you to have lunch with me, Fullmetal. What's so hard to understand about that?"

Ed glared at him, probably for being a 'smartass' as she liked to say. "Yeah you idiot, what I don't understand is _why_? Why the hell would you want to spend your break with the person who annoys you the most?"

Roy frowned at that for just a second, before his cool mask was back in place. Yet his mind pondered that; did Ed really think she was the person who annoyed him the most? While she certainly _did _annoy him sometimes, he didn't really feel much annoyance nowadays. They were civil; he thought she realised that too.

"You're actually not the person who annoys me the most, Fullmetal. Actually, I would go as far as to say that I quite enjoy your company when you're not screaming profanities."

Ed seemed completely dumbfounded, her body on the couch slack with shock yet tense with incredulity. Only Ed could show such emotion without even realising it; she could never hide it, and most times Roy could read her like a book. He found that charming too; how she unknowingly let herself be vulnerable like that. He wished he could do it sometimes, but he had gotten so used to having a strong grip on his reaction to emotion that he wasn't sure anyone could elicit an instinctive response anymore.

"Well, then? What do you say? Unfortunately, I can't sit here all day discussing it, I do have paperwork to complete…"

Ed's cheeks were obviously pink, and she lowered her head slightly to stare at a random spot on the carpet.

Roy had gotten ready for rejection; that was why he wasn't being polite or charming but straight to the point. No from Ed and he could coolly dismiss it with sarcasm, saving his pride and hiding the hurt.

"Okay, I guess, i-if there's something important we need to talk about..."

There wasn't, but Roy knew Ed only added that to sway the situation to professional again.

Roy managed a smile. "Deal then, meet me outside Headquarters at twelve."

Ed nodded, still carefully avoiding eye contact. She was clearly embarrassed, but Roy couldn't really figure out the exact reason. Yes, it may be awkward sitting in a café with Ed for an hour as it was something completely unusual for them, but why was Ed that embarrassed?

Roy decided to spare her. "Well then, I would like you to look over this report again and bring it to me on Wednesday, it is too poorly written to be passed on to the General. Dismissed."

He handed her the report, and while he hadn't expected a tantrum, he did expect a scowl or some indication of annoyance for having to redo her report. Yet there was none of that. Ed basically snatched the report out of his hand and power walked out the office like her ass was on fire. It left Roy gazing at the door she vanished from in confusion.

* * *

Lunch break came unusually quickly. Roy supposed it was the anticipation and the slight anxiousness he felt that made time go atypically fast. He hadn't made a massive dent in his paperwork pile like he'd been planning, but he blamed that entirely on his thoughts being an unwelcome distraction.

While it was nothing new for him to be distracted by thoughts of Ed, the feeling of nervousness about seeing her certainly was. His emotions seemed to battle inside him until he was unsure of just what he was feeling. But, of course, to outsiders he just seemed like a collected Colonel completing paperwork.

He stood, taking a moment to stretch before sauntering out the inner office. Everyone had already gone to lunch, except Hawkeye, but that wasn't a surprise. She sat at her desk, calmly completing her paperwork. Next to her, she had a homemade sandwich she'd brought from home.

"I'm going for lunch break, Lieutenant."

Hawkeye looked at him and nodded. Roy could've sworn he detected a tiny smile on her lips. "I hope you enjoy your lunch date, sir."

Roy frowned in confusion. Did Hawkeye mean Ed? How did she know about that? Ed hadn't seemed particularly ready to tell everyone she had agreed to lunch with him. And more importantly, if she knew about the bet, wouldn't she disapprove of his actions? While Roy had no intention of trying to seduce Ed for the bet, Hawkeye wouldn't necessarily know that…would she?

He never knew with this woman, she seemed to always surprise him and know something more.

"And how would you know I have a date, Lieutenant?"

Hawkeye's lips twitched upwards again, and she placed her pen on her desk. "Edeline came out of your office incredibly flustered, sir, and when I offered to look over her report with her during lunch break, she turned a fascinating shade of red and declined. I put two and two together, sir."

Roy raised his eyebrows. That was interesting; he didn't think having lunch together would be such a big deal for Ed. He had just thought she'd turn up as normal, with her usual attitude, and perhaps start half-heartedly insulting him to pass the time.

Her responses had been really unexpected so far.

He smirked in amusement at Hawkeye's explanation. "I see." Then, he walked towards the outer door. "I shall leave then, can't be too late for my date."

The halls were empty, and his pocket watch told him it was five minutes past twelve. Would Ed really be waiting for him outside? He half expected her to bail and, when questioned, blame it on his tardiness. But Hawkeye's revelation had been interesting.

The soft breeze caressed his face as soon as he walked outside. It was such a nice day today, with the sun not too hot but welcoming, the breeze calming. It was such a shame it was a Monday and not the weekend.

He spotted Ed leaning against one of the statues right outside the front door, her head lowered as she stared at her feet. It was rare when Roy didn't have any insight regarding her thoughts, but this was one of those times. He had no idea what Ed could be thinking.

"There you are."

Ed's head snapped up so fast he was surprised she didn't hurt her neck. Her expression told him she was shocked he even turned up. Had she expected him to be joking around? Had she really thought Roy would stand her up?

Damn, her view of him must be fucked up. Sometimes, he didn't even want to know what Ed thought of him, and yet other times he sat and pondered it.

"Oh…hi."

Her cheeks were slowly but surely turning a nice shade of pink, and the way she avoided his gaze wasn't lost on Roy.

"Shall we go, then?"

Ed nodded and pushed herself away from the wall. They began walking down the massive steps of Headquarters, and Roy pondered his next move. He could always take her to his usual café, but he wanted to know more about her…

"Where do you usually eat lunch?"

Ed looked up at him, again surprise on her face, and Roy wondered why she thought all this was _that _weird. Once the question registered, she sheepishly rubbed at the back of her neck. "Oh, I, uh, don't usually." She shrugged. "I just go to the library."

Roy raised his eyebrows at that, though he shouldn't have been surprised; it was a typical thing Ed would do. He recalled how many times Al had to remind her to eat.

"Well, then, let me introduce you to the wonders of lunch."

She rolled her eyes, smothering a smile, and Roy couldn't help but smile himself. She didn't reply, just followed him silently to his usual café. It was a bit further out from the hustle and bustle, and that was because he liked to enjoy his lunch in peace, without seeing people in uniform sitting round him. Ed didn't question the walk, but he saw her bright golden eyes roaming around the place once they walked in.

She scoffed. "Even this place looks fancy, should've known."

They sat at his usual table, next to the massive window. He liked to look outside while eating, contemplating and observing people. But that wouldn't be happening this time, he supposed; he had a person right in front of him to contemplate and observe.

Ed was currently looking through the menu. Roy already knew what he would order, and the waitress came soon after, greeting him as usual.

"Hello, Roy! The usual?"

Roy smiled politely at her. "Yes, please, Catherine."

He turned to Ed, about to ask her what she wanted when he noticed she was gazing at the waitress quite intensely, and then looked back at the menu with a sad frown. It made Roy frown himself, but in confusion.

"And what would you like?"

Ed looked back up. "Uhh, the salad? I'm not that hungry."

"Sure! I'll bring some water for you too!"

With that, she rushed off, and Ed and Roy were left in silence. It would've been less awkward had Ed not been staring at the table so intensely she could burn a hole in it.

Damn, it was hard when there was no alchemy to get them started…

"So, Ed." Roy opted for using her nickname instead of her state name to try and warm her up. And then went for the one topic he knew would get her talking. "How's Alphonse?"

Ed looked up, her eyebrows raised. But then, her face relaxed, and a beautiful smile graced her features. It made Roy's heart beat just a tiny bit faster than usual, and his chest clench; he wished she had the same reaction when someone mentioned him…

But no, all he got was a scowl.

"Al's doing great, he's strong. His body's healthy now, and he's even been travelling! He went over to Xing to study Alkehestry for half a year, he's back in Resembool now, but I think he'll go back. He loved it there." Ed's eyes were glowing with pride, it was as though she'd lost all embarrassment over being here with him; she would brag about her little brother to anyone.

Roy was leaning on his interlocked fingers, gazing at Ed with admiration. She had accomplished so much in such a short amount of time; she had managed to fix one of the biggest mistakes man could commit – the consequences of her failed human transmutation. Most people would've crumbled, but not Ed. She was indestructible. And now her little brother could finally live a normal life.

Their food came. This time Ed didn't even glance at the waitress; instead, she was eyeing his sausage and mash with a predatory eye, just as her salad was placed in front of her.

"Is that your usual?"

Roy looked at his food, feeling his stomach rumbling eagerly. "Yes, it is. "

Ed shoved a handful of lettuce and tomato in her mouth, grimaced, and proceeded to talk with her mouth full. "Not very healthy for every day."

Roy shrugged. He tended to cook a healthy dinner to make up for this lunch; but damn it, he needed something to look forward to while completing paperwork, or he'd go insane. "This is my way of rewarding myself for my hard work."

Ed snickered, smirking. "Hard work? Are you referring to signing your name on several pieces of paper for eight hours?"

Roy ignored the jab, opting for smirking back instead. At least she wasn't acting uncharacteristically shy anymore. "I'd really like to switch jobs with you for a day, and watch you tear your eyeballs out after thirty minutes."

"You'd die if we switched jobs."

He could see the amused glint in her eye, and he knew she wasn't referring to her current research job, but her mission-filled past.

He supposed she thought he was out of shape, what with having a desk job and sausage with mash every lunch break, but she was wrong. Gosh, how he wished he could _show_ her how wrong she was.

"I think I'll fair quite all right, especially considering my own years as Major."

Ed raised her eyebrow, taking in another forkful of salad before saying, "How were your years as Major?" He could see the curiosity burning in her eyes, and he realised this was going way better than he thought it would. Ed seemed more than eager to know more about him; it wasn't him asking the personal questions, but her. That was surely an unexpected turn.

Roy reflected to when he'd just joined the military. He'd been an incredibly naïve young adult, who thought that by being in the military he could help people. He recalled how he used to get excited every time he got a mission, eager to contribute to bettering people's lives.

"Frankly, mine were not as life threatening as yours, but they were surely physically challenging." He refrained from mentioning Ishval and instead stuck to his earlier years. Ishval wasn't a conversation to be had over lunch.

Ed hummed, smirking. She looked up at him teasingly from under her eye lashes, and for some reason Roy found that to be a rather unexpected turn on.

They chatted a bit more, surprisingly with only small silent breaks. Conversation wasn't forced, it seemed to flow, even when the topic was rather mundane. But Roy didn't care; he'd talk about the weather with Ed if that's what she wanted.

He enjoyed being in her presence, he really did. He wished she enjoyed it as much as him, but that was unrealistic…

When Ed took out her pocket watch to check the time, Roy was reminded they only had an hour break.

"Oh damn, we should go."

Roy felt the disappointment settle in his chest. He didn't know if getting out of his comfort zone with Ed was a good idea; it was becoming easier and easier to imagine them in other scenarios, like a proper date…Damn, he wanted to take her out, properly; so they had all the time in the world, and not only a quick one hour, dressed in stuffy uniforms.

Then and there, he decided.

Ed stood up, Roy following suit. She looked distracted, stuffing her pocket watch back in her pocket. Her mind was probably already back on work, but Roy was too busy counting to three.

"We have like five minutes or we'll be late, let's go."

He didn't give himself time to overthink it, and in three seconds he had a hold of her wrist, halting her. Ed turned around, wide-eyed and confused. Roy knew this was ridiculous, this was way beyond their comfort zone, and it would give away way more than Roy wanted to give. But, it was now or never; he had to forget about her, so he had to get rejected, otherwise his feelings would keep growing.

"Tomorrow, go on a date with me."

The moment it was out he wished he could take it back. Ed's face morphed from incredibly confused, to full on stunned, then to bright red disbelief. It would've been amusing, had Roy not been too busy preparing his heart for the upcoming rejection.

There were several beats of silence, and then… "_What?"_

Ed yanked her hand out of his hold, her face morphing into a scowl and her eyes glaring holes into his soul. Roy had been prepared for incredulity, maybe even a laugh, but he hadn't expected her to be _livid_.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" She took a step back seemingly subconsciously, and before Roy could open his mouth she said, "A _date_? You think I'm a fucking joke?"

Roy was growing increasingly more confused, and slightly worried – did she think he was joking? Did she actually think he would make fun of her like that?

And yet, most times Ed used anger to disguise hurt, but it was always easily detectable on her face anyway – just like now.

"Edeline, what are you–"

"Fuck you." With that, she turned around and ran, and Roy was too confused to come up with a way to stop her. His mind had gotten an entirely different reaction than the one it was anticipating, and he was just left puzzled beyond relief. Why would she be so angry…?

When he got back to the office, he half expected Ed not to be there. But she was. She was sitting at her desk, furiously writing something – Roy guessed the report. While the others looked up at his entrance, she didn't – she completely ignored him, even when Hawkeye greeted him.

"I hope you had a good lunch break, sir." Her voice betrayed nothing, and he was glad – Ed knowing Hawkeye was aware they spent lunch break together would've only made matters worse.

Glancing at Ed, he replied, "It was wonderful, thank you Lieutenant." With that, he entered his inner office, his intent to complete all his paperwork.

Though his mind wandered, and he spent the majority of his time wondering what he did wrong.


	5. Day 4

Day 4, and Ed wasn't talking to him. Great seduction game there, Roy.

He sighed as he buttered his toast. This wasn't going well at all. His mind had spent the majority of the time yesterday analysing every interaction he'd had with Ed, and had eventually concluded that Ed must've thought he was joking. In some weird way. Truth knew how Ed's mind worked sometimes. No girl had ever thought a date proposal from him had been a _joke_.

But, somehow, whatever she had thought he meant had hurt her. This bet was nonsense, so he disregarded it and decided he had to apologise to her – patch things up. A stupid bet wasn't more important than his relationship with his subordinate.

He ate his toast in silence, pondering his next move. He still wished Ed would accept his date invitation, but now he doubted it would ever happen. He just had to suck it up and move on…

He got dressed rather slowly, his mind still distracted. He wanted to apologise and make sure she knew he meant it. And also, he wanted her to know that invitation hadn't been a joke. It would wound his pride, but he had been the one to get into this stupid situation in the first place. He didn't want Ed to think he had disrespected her like that.

When he got to Headquarters, he still hadn't come up with the perfect setting to apologise. She would be at the office with the rest of his subordinates, probably rewriting the report due tomorrow or doing paperwork. He could ask her to come to his office but...That seemed too impersonal…

Sighing, he walked down the hall, and up the stairs to his office. As he expected, Hawkeye was already there, organising everyone's paperwork piles for the day.

"Good morning, Lieutenant."

She looked up at him. "Good morning, sir." She paused, as though she hesitated saying something else after.

Roy frowned. "What is it, Lieutenant?"

She glanced at the door before asking. "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Granted." They were the only ones here, anyway.

Hawkeye straightened, and let a slither of concern cross her features. "Ed was really upset after lunch, it took a lot to convince her to stay…I won't ask what happened, but please don't mess with her feelings, sir, she's more sensitive than you might realise."

He didn't know how to feel about that. For Hawkeye to say that, Ed truly must've been upset. His frowned dipped further as guilt clawed at him. "It was just a misunderstanding, Lieutenant, that I am prepared to clear up today." As an afterthought, he added, "And I'm not messing with her feelings…"

Hawkeye pursed her lips to refrain from saying something. Roy was about to tell her to spit it out when the door opened, and Havoc and Breda strode in, already laughing. Havoc paused when he caught sight of them.

"Aye! Morning chief, Lieutenant."

Slightly annoyed he wasn't going to find out what Hawkeye had wanted to say, he deadpanned, "Morning," and then disappeared in his inner office.

He faintly heard Havoc ask Hawkeye "What's up with him?" before he shut the door.

Today, he concluded, was not going to be a pleasant day.

He had a moment on his own to think before Hawkeye walked in with his paperwork stack for the day and a cup of coffee. The usual. Roy sometimes wondered when his life had gotten so boring.

He lethargically started on the pile, though his mind was far away. What was he going to say to Ed? When would be the right time? He didn't want to fuck it up this time – he had to make it right with her.

He heard her come in the outer office. It was faint, but he detected the casual good mornings, and then silence. Ed must've just sat at her desk and started on her duties. It was rare for Ed to make an entrance without some sort of laughter following. He guessed her mood was still low…

Rubbing his tired eyes, he decided to wait until lunch and then approach her. With that in mind, he somehow managed to focus on his work, thoughts of the conversation ahead supressed.

Lunch came quicker than he thought. As per usual he heard Havoc and Breda leaving ten minutes earlier, which he for some reason allowed, and it brought him out of the military funds world he'd been in.

He put his pen down and stretched his back, grunting when it cracked. Casually, he entered the outer office, assessing. Hawkeye and Ed were still deep in their work, whereas Fuery and Falman were gathering their things to head off to lunch.

He waited until they shut the door, and then exchanged a pointed glance with Hawkeye. Nodding, she stood, gathering her things before she left, and finally leaving him alone with Ed. She looked to be so engrossed in her work he doubted she'd noticed any of this.

He cleared his throat, finally getting her attention. She looked around as though surprised no-one was here. Then her gaze settled on him. She glared.

"What do you want?"

Taking a deep breath, he approached her. Standing ominously by his office door, he figured, wasn't the friendliest.

"Just to talk." He tried sounding calm and _kind_, but if anything, that made Ed's eyes narrow further.

She averted her gaze, acting busy with her documents instead. "I don't have anything to say to you."

"I do." He pulled Hawkeye's chair closer, so he was sat next to Ed. She avoided facing him, but he saw the corners of her mouth dip in annoyance.

She didn't reply, so Roy took that as his cue to continue. "I'm sorry about yesterday, I wasn't quite planning on ending lunch…like that."

She visibly tensed, still not saying a word and staring down at a document in front of her. Roy went on. "I don't know what you thought I meant when I asked you on a date, but I can assure you it wasn't that."

They spent a few seconds in tense silence, before Ed spoke. "I thought you were making fun of me."

Roy sighed, staring down at his interlocked fingers in his lap. While he knew Ed's opinion of him wasn't the best, he didn't think it was _that _bad…

For a moment he considered backtracking – asking her out on a date had been a split-second decision he now slightly regretted. Mostly because of the mess it had caused, but also because it left him vulnerable. While he didn't think Ed would go around telling people Roy asked her on a date, it still made him uncomfortable that Ed would know he harboured unrequited feelings towards her.

But it just didn't feel right…He wanted to be honest with her and by coming up with some lie to bandage his ego was just going to make Ed think he was bullshitting to fix a joke gone wrong. And he didn't want her thinking that.

"I'm sorry you thought that, but I was being serious."

She still wasn't looking at him, but he heard her sucking in her breath, most likely in shock. Roy was getting all the wrong reactions, but what could he expect? He had never shown her anything that would make her think he was interested. She had every right to be angry, shocked, confused…

Finally, wide golden eyes turn to stare at him. He held her gaze, pretending to be confident about this.

"You…weren't joking?"

Now it was Roy's turn to take a deep breath. Why was it so hard to confess his feelings this time? He could compliment other women all the time, easily, yet with Ed everything was creating a knot in his stomach.

"I enjoyed your company at lunch, and I thought going out to get to know each other better without a particular time restriction would be…nice."

By the end, he could feel his whole face burning.

Ed gaped at him, gobsmacked. With every second, her cheeks were turning a more interesting shade of red. "W-What the f-fuck is wrong with you?" she spluttered, though it lacked bite, and averted her gaze as her face turned completely crimson.

This was an infinitely better reaction than the last one, though he still didn't know how to interpret it. She was so confusing to him…

Despite himself, he felt awkward enough to apologise. "I'm sorry, I know it's probably a shock to you…Thinking back, I don't know why I thought you'd react positively to that." He rubbed his hands over his face. "Sorry, I-I don't know…"

He was at a loss, and it showed. Ed stared at him again, silently, and then shrugged. "It's okay."

There was a bit of awkward silence, as Roy gathered the guts to ask her again. Maybe, just maybe, now that she knew he wasn't joking, she would say yes…

"The offer is still on." When she looked at him wide eyed again, he added, rather hastily, "If you want, of course."

His awkwardness urged him to say it didn't have to be romantic and to just go as friends, but he managed to ignore it. He wanted to leave it to fate, as he still had some of that stupid hope left that maybe Ed had feelings for him too…

Ed, if possible, turned an even brighter shade of red. She seemed to have stopped breathing too.

"I–Ah…" Their gazes connected, and she emitted an actual squeak that had Roy raising his eyebrows. "IguessokayifyoureallywanttoIdon'tmind."

Roy blinked. "Sorry, what?"

Ed's face was still so flushed. Her gaze still on the floor, she said, slower. "I said…okay."

Roy found her sudden uncharacteristic demureness adorable…It took a moment for her reply to register, but when it did, his eyes widened, and he tried his best not to show just _how _enthusiastic that made him. She accepted the date invitation without him trying to write it off as a friend thing. And that meant two things.

She wasn't dating anyone else.

She actually didn't despise the idea of going on a date with him.

The hope in his chest strengthened. He didn't know if that was good or bad, since accepting one date didn't mean that much, but for Roy it meant so much more than he imagined.

"So…when are you free?"

Roy was feeling uncharacteristically awkward and apprehensive too, though he figured it was just the atypical situation.

Ed shook her head in disbelief. "Are we actually doing this? Fuck…"

Roy chuckled uncomfortably. "Is that still a yes?"

Ed flushed again, her fingers absently messing with the corner of a document. "Whatever. Tomorrow?"

Roy felt a slight disappointment she didn't say tonight, but he didn't show it.

"Tomorrow's fine. How about 8pm? I can pick you up from the dorms."

Avoiding his gaze, Ed nodded. It was then that the door opened, and Hawkeye walked in. She raised her eyebrows a tiny fraction in surprise, but otherwise said nothing.

That was his cue, he thought, sitting up from her chair. Lunch time was coming to an end. Thankfully, because he didn't think he could deal with the awkward air around him and Ed for much longer.

"Well then, let's get back to work, shall we?"

With that, he walked back into the safety of his inner office, trying his best to look nonchalant and away from Hawkeye's questioning eyes.


	6. Day 5

_Day 5._

Roy stared at his coffee, the brown liquid reflecting his contemplating face back to him. In a few hours, he'd be on a date with Ed. With _Ed._

That was insane.

As much as he was loath to admit it, this would have never been a reality had he not drunkenly agreed to that bet. If he hadn't, he would have never known Ed would say _yes_ to a _date_.

Shaking his head, he looked over at the clock – twenty minutes till he could get out of here, and go out with Ed. He wasn't surprised the pile of paperwork on his desk remained mostly untouched; Edeline had been unknowingly dominating his thoughts since their conversation yesterday.

He got way more than he bargained for.

Now he was plagued by the questions; would it be awkward? Probably. Would he enjoy it, would_ she _enjoy it? He hoped so. He also hoped that, if it didn't work out, it wouldn't affect their work.

Gosh, he wished his brain shut up sometimes.

Ed had come in today as usual, had knocked on his door and brought him the rewritten report. It had felt so unbelievably awkward, mostly on her part. Roy tried his best to act casual, but Ed avoiding eye contact and blushing with everything he said made it incredibly hard. He could just tell she had been itching to leave; when he finally dismissed her, she practically jogged out the office.

He pondered how tonight would go, if Ed literally couldn't look at him, or in his direction.

Hawkeye knocked on his door, walking in. "I'll be going now, sir." She paused, looking at the mountain of paperwork on his desk with a disapproving glance. "You've barely done anything today, sir."

Roy rubbed a tired hand over his face. "My apologies, Lieutenant. I wasn't feeling my best."

Hawkeye's stance softened ever so slightly. "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Granted."

With that, she walked closer to his desk. "Did it not work out with Ed?"

Roy chuckled, the disbelief still not worn off. "She actually said yes to a date, so I think it did more than work out?"

Hawkeye didn't hide the surprised expression, her eyebrows sky-high. "Congratulations, sir. Is that the reason you didn't do any paperwork?"

He sighed, sulking in his chair. "Can you blame me? I'm in shock."

Hawkeye barely kept herself from rolling her eyes. "Anyway, sir. Enjoy your date, and hopefully you'll catch up on paperwork tomorrow."

Roy tried not to think about the hell that was going to be tomorrow. "See you tomorrow, Lieutenant."

Hawkeye left, and Roy decided to do the same.

The drive to his house was usually calming, as he was finally done for the day and could relax at home. But now…now he would go out with Ed. And his stomach was a tight knot because of it.

He got back home with two hours to spare before the date. He decided to go have a shower and shave, in a futile attempt to relax his nerves.

Getting dressed was an unusual ordeal. He never bothered with what he wore on dates; all his clothes were to some degree fancy, so there was no chance he'd be underdressed in any situation. But now his mind was coming up with ridiculous scenarios that could happen should he wear those particular trousers or that specific shirt. It was driving him insane.

Why was Ed messing him up in the head so much? She'd never seen him in fancy clothes before, she would probably be amazed whatever he wore…

For a moment he pondered what she would wear…He only ever saw her in casual clothes, specifically the leather pants and tank top she wore to work. What if she wore a dress?

He hoped she did.

By the time he was fully dressed, he had around half an hour till the date. Staring at himself in his full-length mirror, he quickly slicked his hair back. He wanted to look as serious about this as possible. He wanted Ed to know he was planning on taking her completely seriously.

He considered getting her flowers, as he passed his usual flower shop, but noticed it was closed at this time of night. Should've known.

His stomach clenching further with every minute, he finally parked his car outside of the military dorms.

_Deep breath, Roy. _

* * *

Ed was freaking the fuck out.

She barely had an hour left before Roy would be knocking on her door. Roy Mustang, her commanding officer and most wanted bachelor in Amestris had asked her out and she said _yes._

What the fuck was she thinking.

There was no way he actually fancied her, right? She had been so sure it'd been a joke…Maybe she had misunderstood, and it still was. Maybe he was joking about this.

But he had seemed so sincere yesterday – that was majorly the reason she'd accepted the date proposal. She had, naively, thought that maybe he could be developing feelings for her too.

She paced around her room, her automail clunking every time she stomped on it.

It was ridiculous. As if a man like him would ever be interested in her. She had fallen for him years ago, knowing full well he was forever out of reach. Maybe that's why she'd fallen for him; in a way, he was untouchable.

Maybe he had been set a secret mission and couldn't tell her about it in the office, so he used a date as a cover…

Her pacing ceased as she considered that option. It would make sense. Maybe he even thought her smart enough to pick up on it. Them going on a date was so unlikely there was bound to be something suspicious going on, right?

She was unconsciously nodding her head when Al entered her room. While usually she loved it when her little brother came to visit her for a bit, she found this week's timing to be atrocious. He was stressing her out even more…

Upon seeing her, he sighed. "Can you not just accept that a guy asked you out?"

She turned to him, wide eyed. "Al, this isn't _any_ guy."

Al rolled his eyes, walking further into the room and throwing some articles of clothing on Ed's bed. "Honestly, for such smart people, you two are stupid."

"What?"

Al pursed his lips, but shook his head and refrained from saying anything. That made Ed even more suspicious. Did Al know about the reason Roy asked her out?

"Anyway, I've brought you some nice clothes, you should get ready."

With that, he left her room, leaving Ed to inspect the clothes on her bed.

The first thing she identified was her alchemy glove for her leg. Underneath that were a pair of black tights. Her heart was pounding as dread started gathering in her stomach. The last article of clothing was deep red, and when Ed lifted it up to identify it, she groaned.

Of course Al would make her wear a _dress_.

* * *

Roy took a deep breath and rang the bell. His heart was pounding – this was probably one of the most nerve-wracking dates of his life. Ed was so volatile he had no idea how this date would end. Perhaps they'll just act as friends and that would be the only thing that felt right, or maybe…His heart yearned for a more intimate connection. Not sex necessarily – though he would never say no to Ed – but a deeper understanding of each other.

Maybe he was wishing for too much, and that scared him. Years had proved to him that going into something unknown with high expectations was a recipe for disappointment.

He heard Ed's typical heavy footsteps approaching the door.

He wasn't exactly sure what he expected to see, but the abrupt way his heart stuttered, and his breath hitched when he saw her told him this wasn't it. Ed stood in front of him, wide golden eyes looking up at him. Her cheeks a sweet pink colour, her hair flowing elegantly down her back and over her shoulders, and her body…He never thought Ed had curves.

A stunning red dress hugged her body, accentuating her narrow hips and the small curve of her breasts. She was a typical petite woman, and yet seeing her like this he thought she was the most attractive woman he'd ever seen.

"You look beautiful," he breathed. He couldn't stop his eyes from roaming her body, taking it all in for fear that he'd never see it again. Ed surely noticed, though she lowered her gaze quickly.

Her face crimson, she shut the door behind her abruptly. "L-Let's go."

They got into Roy's car and he lost no time driving them to the restaurant he'd booked a table at. Knowing Ed, she was probably starving, and he was quite hungry himself.

She remained silent during the short drive, which was what Roy had feared would happen. Her uncharacteristic shyness, while charming, had been completely unexpected, and it was rubbing off on him. He felt anxious and hesitant to break the awkward silence.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her, hoping to at least have some sort of conversation going. This date was set to get to know each other better, and for that to happen they had to _talk_.

Ed touched her stomach subconsciously, and hummed. "Fucking starving, hope the place has good food."

Roy smirked, his eyes on the road. "Oh, trust me, they do."

Ed didn't reply to that, and Roy glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She was frowning, as though what he said bothered her for some reason. What the hell, why was Ed suddenly so self-conscious? He honestly hadn't expected her to be like this, but then again, he shouldn't have expected her to act the same in casual conversations as she did in their office ones. She was an expert in fighting and alchemy – she spoke with confidence about those things. But now he was coming to realise that Ed was actually pretty socially inept.

Well, it was a common trait among geniuses.

"I'm sure you'll enjoy the food," he added, an attempt to keep the conversation going.

"So, you've been there before?"

Roy blinked, his preoccupied mind trying to figure her out while he drove them. Her voice sounded prodding, but Roy couldn't understand for what. Yes, he had been to that restaurant many times. He knew the staff relatively well, and got discounts on occasion. He'd been there for dinner alone, with friends or with–

Roy's train of thought cut off. Dates. He had taken a few dates there before. Was that what Ed was hinting at…?

Roy sighed, making Ed look at him.

"Ed." The car came to a stop outside the restaurant's grand doors, and Roy turned his body to face her fully. She was sitting on her hands, looking up at him cautiously. "Don't compare yourself to those that came before. Please."

Would it be too much to tell her that she was special? He was scared she wouldn't believe he was being serious again. But it was the truth. Roy couldn't remember if he'd ever felt so strongly before for anyone. Ed truly was special to him.

Ed's eyes widened and her face turned bright red. She seemed speechless at being caught out. "I-I'm n-not. T-This i-isn't a big deal anyway." She hastily exited the car, and after a heavy sigh, Roy followed suit.

This date would be interesting.

The waiter greeted him by name and escorted them to their table. He didn't know what Ed was thinking, but he hoped she would allow herself to relax and have fun. The worst thing she could do was try to see how she measured up to his previous dates. Ed and those women were light years away, and Roy was over with them anyway; that should be the biggest hint that he didn't like or enjoy their company enough to be with them.

The waiter left them to look through the menu.

Roy turned to Ed with a smile, about to ask what she was going to order. Her cute concentration face as she looked at the menu made him pause for a second and his smile widened.

"So, what do you fancy?"

Ed frowned in concentration, humming. "I mean, I don't understand most things…Maybe the steak."

Roy hummed in approval. "Good choice."

She put the menu down, staring at him curiously. "What are you getting?"

"Tonight's special."

Ed pulled a face, leaning back in her chair dramatically. "Damn, okay fancy-pants."

Roy laughed, shaking his head as the waiter approached them again. Roy decided to order some wine on a whim; he didn't know if Ed even liked or drank wine, but he would enjoy some with his meal.

"So," Roy rested his chin on his interlocked fingers as he regarded her. "What do you think of the place so far?"

"Fancy as shit."

"Are you surprised?"

"Not really, you are a bastard with a god complex after all."

Roy smiled. She was opting for the casual insults then. Maybe this situation was too weird for her, but Roy so far felt okay. Perhaps it was his experience with dating or the familiar setting of this restaurant that made him feel more at ease, but him and Ed on a date didn't really elicit the same disbelief as it had previously.

It felt…almost normal.

When their food came, steaming hot and ready to be digested, it earned every bit of Ed's attention for the most part of dinner.

Their conversation remained mostly superficial, 'safe'. Roy had so many personal questions swimming in his head, so many things he wanted to know about this amazing person. While he had met her young, he knew virtually nothing of her childhood – the mother she spoke so sadly of, the father who abandoned her, the kind Rockbell neighbours who fed her when her mother passed. He wanted to know, everything.

So, when silence settled once again during their meal, he decided to break the pattern once and for all.

"Tell me about your mum."

* * *

Roy looked up at the night sky, Ed sauntering next to him. His decision to ask her about her mother had been both good and bad. He loved how softly Ed would speak of Trisha Elric, the love and admiration she had for the woman still evident even after all these years. And yet, he was fully aware that he was digging up painful memories. Tonight, he had wanted Ed to have fun, and he couldn't exactly tell if he'd achieved that.

They'd talked a lot, Roy could even say they bonded. This was the first time Ed had opened to him about anything, and he was sure it was her first time ever properly talking about what led her to human transmutation. And Roy too, had answered her cautious questions about the Ishivalan war they had often avoided talking about in her village.

His chest flooded with emotion as he looked at her, calmly walking by his side.

He understood now, why he'd fallen for her.

"It's getting late, maybe we should head back?"

Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She was right; it was late now. Probably around midnight. While he knew they should head back, Roy didn't want to shatter the closeness he felt to her. He was scared he wouldn't be able to get it back.

Roy hadn't felt this close to someone since Maes.

"You're right, we should head back."

The walk back to the car wasn't too long, but when they got in the warmth had Ed sighing in contentment. She was relaxed now, a direct contrast from the stiff and self-conscious person she was at the start. Her head leaned against the seat and she closed her eyes – she must be exhausted. He too, was feeling really tired, and yet at peace.

The drive home was spent in silence, but it was a different sort of silence. Before, the silence was stifling, a myriad of thoughts trapped inside their minds but unable to be uttered aloud. Now, Roy could describe it as an intimate silence, where there were no more words needed to be said.

When they got to Ed's dorm, she hesitated to get out the car, her head staring at her lap and her hair falling to conceal her face.

Roy turned to her and, feeling unusually affectionate, brushed the hair away and tucked it behind her ear. She turned to him in surprise, her golden eyes wide and shining.

"Did you enjoy it?"

Ed nodded, her face red. Roy smirked in spite of himself. "Can't believe you're cute when you're shy."

Her eyes ballooned wide, her face turning an unhealthy red. She quickly swatted his hand away. "I-I'm not shy! O-Or cute! You bastard!"

Roy chuckled, just as she went to open the car door.

"Ed–wait."

The moment she turned her face towards him, he leaned in and captured her lips with his own. Ed froze, and Roy's heart pounded, for a split second thinking he'd messed it all up. He pulled away, about to apologise to Ed's wide-eyed face, when she grabbed his shirt and brought him back to her lips.

Roy's heart was pounding so hard he thought it would burst. Ed's lips were soft and hesitant, unsure of the right thing to do. Roy's hand rested on the car seat above her head, the other holding her small waist. The touch of her skin, even through the dress, sparked a fire deep inside him – he hadn't realised just how much he'd wanted to touch her. Their lips brushed against each other's delicately for a brief moment, before Ed pulled back, her cheeks stained red. Her breath caressing his lips and her gaze connected with his, they stayed like that, Roy's mind blank and her hands still grasping onto his shirt.

With her hand, she reached up, and before Roy could ask what she was doing she had rested her hand on his head and ruffled his hair.

Her molten eyes and rough voice were an insane turn on to him.

"I prefer you with messy hair."


	7. Day 6

_A/N I hope you're all staying safe guys *heart*  
_

* * *

Roy woke up the next morning feeling energised, excited. Last night felt like one of his dreams, being so close to Ed, kissing her, making love to her – but then in the morning he would have to wipe those thoughts out of his mind, and come back to reality.

Not this time.

This time he really had been close to her, and kissed her – not made love to her, and he still didn't know if that would ever happen in real life, or if that part was only for his dreams. But one thing was made clear to him; Ed was attracted to him. After all those years of knowing each other, of fighting and insulting, of showing no interest in each other whatsoever, Roy's fantasies had become reality.

Ed had feelings for him.

Granted, he didn't know what feelings exactly those were. Maybe it was just plain attraction – he wasn't going to lie to himself, he knew he was attractive, and girls flocked around him. He just didn't think Ed would fall prey to his looks.

He hoped it was more than that, more than superficial attraction.

He wanted her to like him for the person he was, for his morals and opinions and ambitions. He wanted her to be interested in his life and want to be a part of it – was this all wishful thinking?

What did Ed want from him, really?

He didn't think she was a one-night stand person, or the kiss last night wouldn't have ended with Ed going back to her dorm. But at the same time, he couldn't imagine Ed wanting a relationship with him.

Why was this suddenly so complicated?

He was excited to see her today, despite his current pondering.

As always, he had a shower and got dressed, and then headed to the kitchen to have some toast for breakfast. His mind was already at the office, however, which wasn't a usual occurrence. Usually his mind was always anywhere _but_ the office.

How would Ed be around him? While he expected her to be somewhat embarrassed about the kiss last night, she _had _taken the initiative, so he thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad…

The curiosity was killing him.

The drive to military headquarters was quick, and soon he was walking down the familiar hallways, greeting familiar people. Once the massive doors to his outer office were in sight, he picked up his pace.

He didn't even know why his excitement was such; Ed would only be here in an hour.

Hawkeye was already at her desk organising folders and papers, and Fuery was sipping his morning coffee, looking weary. No one else was here yet.

He greeted them good morning, trying not to seem as excited for the day as he felt. He especially didn't want Hawkeye picking up on anything, though knowing her, she might ask him about the date with Ed herself.

As he got settled in the inner office, Hawkeye popped in. "Would you like your coffee now, sir?"

"Please, Hawkeye."

Sitting in his chair, his excitement dulled a little as he realised the majority of the day would be filled completing paperwork and not interacting with Ed. He also wasn't sure what he should do regarding Ed. He supposed he should wait till she comes, since he had no idea how she would act around him after last night, but he wanted to do, well, something. He pondered taking her out for lunch again, but it seemed too casual. He wanted her to know that his feelings for her were very real.

Hawkeye interrupted his train of thought, by bringing him a steaming cup of coffee, which Roy eagerly started sipping. She re-entered a minute later with a high stack of paperwork Roy was not a fan of.

"I've included yesterday's too, sir, since you barely did any work."

He could hear the judgment in her voice. He sank in his chair in defeat. "Thank you, Lieutenant."

As he attempted to sign paper after paper, he allowed his mind to travel. It was Day 6 of the bet today. He had two days, technically. Of course, he wanted Ed to keep going out with him after that, but he needed to figure out what he'd say to the others. He didn't want to recount everything that happened with Ed – it felt too intimate to do so. But he also didn't want it to seem like whatever did happen was insignificant and 'just for the bet'.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes. He wished time passed faster.

* * *

Like he predicted, Ed barely spoke to him all morning. He heard her come in through the outer office, the others greeting her as usual, though there was no reason for her to check in with him. So their morning passed as boring as it could.

By lunch time, Roy was determined. He was going to ask her out for lunch again, though the fear of rejection was making his stomach squeeze.

Leaving the massive pile of paperwork that never seemed to go down, he walked outside, to where his subordinates were getting ready to leave for lunch. They all looked up at him as he exited the inner office.

"Are you leaving for your lunch break, sir?"

Roy looked at Ed, who was looking at anywhere but him. He could see the delicate pink on her cheeks. This was going to make things even more awkward, but he needed to do it.

"Yes, I will be. Before that, Fullmetal, can you come to my office please?"

Ed visibly gulped, while Havoc and Breda exchanged a glance. Roy could only imagine what they had just communicated. He wouldn't be surprised if they were thinking he had already won the bet.

Ed stood, and walked almost shamefully in his office after him. Roy shut the door, and walked away from it, just in case of curious ears.

He gestured for Ed to sit on the couch as he sat next to her. She seemed tense.

"I was wondering if you'd like to come for lunch with me."

Ed glanced at him for a split second, blushing harder. "Sure."

Roy smiled. He found it quite amusing how demure Ed was. He placed a hand on her upper back encouragingly. "You don't need to be so tense around me, you know."

That seemed to make her even more uncomfortable. "Yeah, I know. It's just…weird. You know."

He understood what she meant entirely. He supposed that, for him, it was natural to get used to this quite fast. Considering the amount of time he'd spent thinking about her, and his experience with romance. To Ed, however, everything was new.

"I understand." Then, he paused. "Where would you like to go for lunch?"

Ed shrugged, hey gaze still lowered. "Why are you asking me, you're the expert with stuff like that."

Roy was silent as he racked his brain for a nice chill place they could go to. He didn't want it to be his usual again, but he also didn't want to go somewhere where a lot of military personnel went for lunch…

For some reason, the park seemed like a good idea to him.

"How about we get some lunch from somewhere and sit at the park?"

Only now Ed looked up at him, slight surprise on her face. "You mean like a picnic…?"

When she put it like that, it did sound a bit weird coming from him. But why not, he had in fact imagined how a picnic would be with him and Ed, though he hadn't thought of it in the context of lunch break. His fantasies had revolved around a bit more romance and a relationship.

His was aware his fantasies were borderline weird.

"Yes, why not? Unless you are against that idea?"

Ed shrugged again, trying to repress a smile. "I don't really care. As I said, I just usually go to the library during lunch."

With that, Roy decided. They were going to get a quick lunch and settle down in the park for an hour.

* * *

The walk to the park was pleasant. Ed munched on a hotdog, a second awaiting her in her other hand, while Roy was waiting to sit down before devouring his salad. Thankfully, the park wasn't too busy – it was a sunny day, so he had imagined people would be out enjoying the sun.

They found some decent shade under a tree, and sat in comfortable silence as they ate. Well, Roy thought it was comfortable on his side, but he could never be sure how Ed was feeling or what she was thinking.

He looked over at her, and noticed her serene expression. She had eaten both her hotdogs in record time; Roy was only halfway through his salad. She did look relaxed, however, and he was thankful – he would hate for her to be uncomfortable around him all the time.

Though Roy did want to talk about their date yesterday, and the kiss. He needed to know how deep Ed's feelings ran – if there were any in the first place.

He looked at her quite intensely, and she realised, turning to him with an arched brow.

"What?"

Roy cleared his throat, scooting a bit closer to her. "I was just thinking about last night, that's all."

As expected, Ed stiffened. Her face was already turning crimson.

"W-What about last night?"

Roy bit his lip absentmindedly as he thought. "I really enjoyed myself, and I hope you did too."

Ed's body was still stiff, though he saw her shoulders relax ever so slightly from the corner of his eye. "I did enjoy myself."

"We should do it again sometime."

Roy looked at her as she went crimson once more and avoided eye contact. Her hand pulled at the grass underneath them. "S-Sure."

Roy smiled. While he was usually a direct person, opting for asking someone about their intentions before he wasted his time on them, he thought taking the more roundabout route with Ed was safest. He truly wanted to ask her about the kiss, but he didn't want her to freak out. So, instead, he opted for seeing if she'd say yes to another date, and therefore confirm her interest in him.

And she'd given him a very nice answer.

"When would you like to go?"

Ed furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "Um, tomorrow? It's a Friday, so…"

Roy waited a second maybe she'd decide to continue her sentence, and when she didn't he just assumed she meant going out on a Friday was better than a Thursday.

"Not tonight?"

Ed bit her lip. "Can't tonight, I've got plans with Al."

Roy nodded, and spared a glance at the clock. They had fifteen minutes to get back to Headquarters.

Ed must've sensed their time was coming to an end, and she stood up to stretch. "Let's get back to work then, shall we?" She pulled a face.

Roy smiled. "Unfortunately."

As they walked back, Roy was unable to keep his brain from reminding him it was Day 6 of the bet. Tomorrow was his last day. He didn't even know why he was still thinking about it, as it meant nothing. This with Ed was in no way connected to that bet anymore, but he dreaded Havoc and Breda's teasing tomorrow.

He wasn't planning on stopping this with Ed, however, so he hoped they didn't decide to let Ed know. She would definitely get the wrong idea…

Just thinking about it was making goosebumps rise on his arms.

Just as Headquarters came into view, Roy halted, watching Ed halt in front of him, confused.

"What's wrong?"

Roy cleared his throat. "I find myself really enjoying spending time with you."

Ed rolled her eyes. "Shocking, is it?"

"That's not what I meant."

Ed sighed, and went to turn around to keep walking, when Roy decided to embrace her. Her body stiffened for a moment; his touch incredibly foreign to both of them. Slowly, she relaxed and wrapped her arms around him too, though she was still a bit tense. He couldn't blame her. Her scent was something he never thought he would get to experience up close, but she truly had an almost hypnotising effect on him.

He wished she was more comfortable around him.

When she pulled back, he made no comment, and together they went back to work.


	8. Day 7

Roy dreaded going into work today.

Yesterday before he left for the day, Breda found it helpful to remind him tomorrow was his last day of the bet. As though Roy could've somehow forgotten. At least he didn't ask how much progress he had made; Roy assumed he was leaving the main entertainment for the day after.

Namely today.

He walked down the hallway to his office slower than usual. He was just happy Ed wouldn't be here till around ten. They would hopefully get it out their system in that hour and then everything would get back to normal – well, except for him going out with Ed, but he wanted to make that normal.

The moment he opened the door to the outer office, eyes were on him. Riza already looked disapproving, so he assumed they had already been talking about it.

"Chief!" Havoc exclaimed, leaning further back in his chair. "Good morning."

Roy had never heard a more mischievous good morning in his life.

"Good morning everyone." He shut the door behind him, wondering whether he should act nonchalant and wait for them to bring it up, or doing it himself to get on with it.

Luckily, Breda decided to spare him. "Sooo, Colonel, do you remember what today is?"

Taking a deep breath, Roy nodded. "The day I swear to never drink again." Then, he paused. "Don't get your hopes up, nothing interesting or worthy of mention has happened."

He could feel Hawkeye's glare on the back of his head. Damn that woman, did she not trust him at all? It was as though she was waiting for him to say something revealing or disrespectful about Ed so she could shoot him.

Havoc and Breda exchanged a glance Roy could not interpret. These guys seemed to have their own language. "So, you lost the bet? You didn't manage to seduce the Boss?"

Roy sighed. "No, I didn't. Now let's get to work."

His wishes to put this behind them seemed to be interpreted wrongly. To Havoc and Breda, it looked like he was trying to play it cool because he lost. And instead, they were going to give him hell for it.

His suspicions were confirmed when they cheered, exchanging passionate high fives as the rest of the crew watched on unceasingly. His reluctance must have been making Fuery and Falman uneasy.

"So, you do in fact admit that you are not the unrejectable bachelor you claim to be!" Havoc yelled, followed by a "Whoo!" from Breda. They just seemed way too excited that it was Roy in this position and not them, for once.

Technically, Ed hadn't rejected him, Roy thought, but he wasn't about to let the crew in on any of that.

Sighing, he said, "Yes, I guess I am not unrejectable."

They cheered once more, and Roy quietly slipped into his inner office. His stomach was twisting with anxiety. Ed was going to arrive in around forty minutes, and Havoc and Breda seemed way more excited about this than he thought. Knowing them, there was no way they would keep their mouths shut. Unless Riza was on his side. She'd shut them up…Right?

Who was he kidding, Riza was so protective of Ed she was capable of telling her herself at the slightest hint that Roy's intentions weren't pure.

For now, he could do nothing but begrudgingly work on his paperwork. As usual, his brain travelled to places less boring than reports, and he found himself daydreaming of his date with Ed later tonight…

Before he knew it, the sound of the outer office door was heard, and Roy's stomach clenched. He stared at the door in front of him in utter despair. She was going to find out. There was no way…

He heard a loud cheer and he covered his face with his hands. Oh God.

Breda wasn't even being quiet about it – Roy could hear every word coming out of his mouth.

"Boss! Congratu-fucking-lations! My God. You'll love this!"

No, Breda, Roy thought. She won't. At all.

And Roy was helpless to stop it. Going there and acting all defensive would do nothing – in fact, it could make things worse. Knowing Ed, she was going to believe anything that was about to come out of Breda's mouth. His reaction, whatever it was, was just going to confirm it in her eyes. Cause that was just how she was – easily convinced of someone's bad intentions, doubtful of someone's good intentions. He couldn't blame her, considering her childhood, but it still hurt. She was about to believe all he wanted to do was get her into bed for a stupid bet.

Havoc laughed and said something, surprisingly too low for Roy to hear in the inner office. He was waiting with his breath stuck in his throat. It was quiet – he expected Ed to yell. He had been sure Ed would've been _furious_. And this silence was making him uneasy.

While before he had been dreading her marching in his office about to yell his ear off, now he wished she came in here. He would hate for this to fester in her head and hurt her.

It took him by surprise when his door flew open and banged against the wall. He would never admit he jumped.

Ed's glare made him gulp.

Fuck, she _was_ angry.

How was he supposed to calm her down? Simply telling her he wasn't doing it for the bet wouldn't suffice – she simply would not believe him. He was usually good at riling her up to the point where she stomped out of his office and Alphonse calmed her down. He had never been the designated calmer downer.

She banged the door shut and stomped over to him. Up close, she seemed more disgusted than angry – but what made his heart clench was the obvious hurt swimming her eyes. Ed could never hide her emotions.

"You're disgusting."

He sighed and stood, coming around the desk and sitting on his couch. He motioned for Ed to sit, but she didn't budge.

He supposed if he was calm and sincere about this, maybe she would see this was all a misunderstanding. Maybe.

"I want to explain." He gazed at her, trying to convey how truly sorry he was, and how it wasn't what it seemed like.

"What is there to explain? You're fucking disgusting and I _knew _something was off and weird and I just couldn't trust you and _fuck _you asshole why _me?" _Her voice was getting louder until it cracked, but she ignored it. "Why the _fuck_ would you all choose me? As if you even wanted to win that fucking bet!"

Roy knew where she was going with this, and he wasn't having it. "I didn't give a shit about the bet, I just like spending time with you. Nothing I did was for the bet–"

Ed scoffed. "Oh really, now? So why the fuck did you invite me to your house on a fucking Saturday morning to work on 'your little hobby' together? Hm? And then cook me dinner? What the fuck, Mustang."

Roy paused. The truth was the bet was the kick in the ass he'd needed to do what he wanted to do anyway. His phrasing of this was important. "The bet was a mere excuse to initiate something I'd been frankly too scared to initiate before."

Ed glared at him. "Fuck off. As if you're actually interested in spending time with me like that, I've known you for so long and you've _never_ shown any sort of interest in anything concerning me."

"Please, Ed." He stood, walking towards her even though she tensed, crossing her arms. "Try and understand my position, if I were to show interest and it wasn't reciprocated my work could've been affected. I couldn't risk that."

The anger was miraculously evaporating, but that meant the raw hurt became clearer – and damn did she look hurt.

"So, a _bet_ where you needed to fuck me to win made it okay to risk affecting your work? Sounds like a fucking lame excuse to me. Fuck you, Mustang. I know you enjoy messing with me all the time but there is something known as too far – yeah, even for me."

She wasn't yelling anymore; her glare was faltering, and he could swear her eyes were becoming glassy. Ed would lose her shit if she cried in front of him.

He risked walking closer to her, his hand reaching out and grasping her upper arm. Her arms uncrossed, falling to her sides limply.

"I'm sorry it all happened like this, I was honestly dreading today because I knew this would happen. But you have to believe me when I say my intentions are, and have always been, pure with you. I wouldn't risk hurting someone close to me like this."

She looked away, shaking her head. "I was so stupid." She shook her head again. Roy wasn't sure she was talking to him. "What the hell was I thinking staying in Central, as if that would change anything after the Promised Day." She chuckled, and looked up to him again. "You don't see me as anything other than the little boy you thought I was when you met me, do you?"

Roy could tell she was on the verge of tears. Words had left him as he contemplated what she had just said. Was _he _the mystery reason Ed had stayed in Central after the Promised Day? After all the theories he had heard and reasons he'd come up with, it seemed absurd to him. So, the rumours had been partly true. She did stay for someone.

"Why didn't you say anything?" It was the only thing he could say at the moment, subconsciously ignoring her question.

"Say _what_, Mustang? 'Oh hey I'd like to stay in Central cause I want you to notice me now I'm actually an adult'?"

Roy couldn't help but chuckle at the incredulity. So they had both been keeping their feelings tightly concealed for fear of rejection and humiliation. They both truly were, for a lack of a better word, idiots.

His heart warmed, knowing fully that his feelings were reciprocated gave him the confidence to cup her cheeks in his hands and softly press his lips against hers. She tensed for a second, but the way she relaxed against him surprised him. He pulled back, their noses brushing as he gazed in her eyes, bright gold and still looking very wounded.

"I'm sorry, Ed. Please give me a chance. I'll prove to you just how irrelevant that stupid bet is."

Despite the hurt still swimming in her eyes, she managed a hesitant smile. "I mean, we _are _going out tonight, aren't we?"

Roy grinned, his confidence restored and a new mission on his hands. "Absolutely."

* * *

_A/N The eeennnddd. Hope you all enjoyed babes, stay safe c: _


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